Director, Emergency Services, Bikur Cholim Hospital
While I have yet not read the New England Journal
article on Avian Flu, it is running through the news like
wildfire. This flu is specific for birds, but it has spread
to humans and of the 117 cases of this type of flu, 60 people
have died.
Let's speak about flu. Flu is a virus, and the proper name
for it is influenza, although the French and some old timers
still call it the grippe. An epidemic of flu spread through
the USA in 1918, killing thousands of people, but since then,
medical care has improved and deaths are rare. The problem is
that this pesky virus mutates, that is, it changes itself
quite easily. Therefore even if a person is immune to one
type, the virus can change itself to still cause disease.
To stay one step ahead, about this time of year (autumn)
people should get the flu shot. While it is officially
recommended for children, the elderly and health care
workers, I still think everyone should get it, as the flu is
debilitating and can cause absence from learning or work for
a week or longer.
Avian flu affects birds, but somehow it can spread to humans,
although it doesn't spread easily from person to person. All
cases of death were in Asia, and the countries that receive
the Yated do not import birds from these countries for
consumption, although it probably is not a good idea to have
a pet bird. Dead birds found on the street do not need to be
reported.
There are now two effective medications against the flu:
Tamiflu and Amantidine, with the first being very expensive
and the second cheap but with annoying side effects. Experts
are hoping these will work with avian flu if the disease
mutates and starts affecting more people.
Keep your selves updated by watching this column.
A writer asks about olive oil. Olive oil is a basic part of
the Mediterranean diet. Oil is a fat and fats taste good so
that you will eat them and build reserves of fat, a good
source of energy when the going is grim. This is now less of
a problem than in earlier times, and starvation is rare,
thank G-d, so we do not need the fat stores like we used
to.
If you need to eat something with oil, olive is definitely
the best one. However, when you go shopping you are often
confronted with a dizzying array of oils. Here is a guide to
those who need them.
Olive and nut oils are the healthiest, but they give their
taste to the food. Safflower, Canola and cottonseed all come
from plants that are inedible, but the first two are easily
digested. The latter is a crude, hard-to-digest oil with no
health benefits. Soybean is very popular. It is bland and is
an excellent cooking and salad oil. Corn oil is similar. Palm
and coconut oils are hard to digest and are bad for you. In
general, saturated fats (palm oil is one), hydrogenated oils
and "trans" oils are the worse for you and have serious
health detriments.
Want to avoid oils? Here are some hints.
Avoid margarine and deep frying. Stir frying uses little oil
and so do the spray oils. Air popping popcorn turns it into a
healthy treat. Avoid processed foods. They put in more oils
and fats to make them taste good so you will buy them. Home
cooking is the safest. Best bet: read the label. Write me in
care of the Yated.
A message from GlaxoSmithKline, sponsor of this
column. Chicken pox can be prevented by Glaxo's vaccines,
but you won't get it unless you ask for it. Israel still does
not require it. Who needs this disease? Play it safe. Get
vaccinated.
